Friday, January 23, 2015

Worship Notes for the Festival of the Conversion of St. Paul, 2015

Friday after Epiphany 2

January 23, 2015

Blessed Epiphany season

As we follow the liturgical calendar at Lamb of God, this
coming Sunday may be recognized in one of two ways. The first is as the Third
Sunday after Epiphany. The second is as the Festival of the Conversion of St.
Paul. We will use the Festival option. As this is a fourth Sunday, we will also
celebrate the Lord’s Supper. For our liturgy we will use the first setting of
the Divine Service (page 151). Our hymn of praise will be “This Is the Feast”
and our post-communion canticle will be “Thank the Lord.” Our opening hymn will
be “Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens” (LSB
589). Our sermon hymn will be “By All Your Saints in Warfare” (LSB 517:1, 12, 3). Our closing hymn will
be “Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast” (LSB
577). Our distribution hymns will be “I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table” (LSB 618), “Hail, O Source of Every
Blessing” (LSB 409), and “How Sweet
the Name of Jesus Sounds” (LSB 524).

The appointed lessons for this Sunday, not surprisingly,
accent the conversion of Paul. They are Acts 9:1-22, Galatians 1:11-24, and
Matthew 19:27-30. Of course the Matthew reading does not directly refer to the
conversion of Paul, but it does reference those who leave everything for
Christ, which certainly describes Paul.

The sermon text will be Acts 9:4. The sermon is titled “God’s
Voice.” We will be considering how people like Ananias, Paul, and others in the
Bible hear God’s voice. Exactly what does that mean? Then how do we hear God’s
voice.

Our opening hymn is “Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens.” The
video below is of Bethany Woelmer playing one verse on her harp.

Once again the Synod does not provide summaries of the
lessons for Feasts and Festivals, so below are our lessons, without a summary.

Acts 9:1-22

9:1But
Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues
at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he
might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he went on his way, he
approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4And
falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting me?” 5And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I
am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But rise and enter the city,
and you will be told what you are to do.” 7The men who were
traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8Saul
rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So
they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9And for
three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10Now
there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a
vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11And the Lord
said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of
Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12and
he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so
that he might regain his sight.” 13But Ananias answered, “Lord, I
have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints
at Jerusalem. 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to
bind all who call on your name.” 15But the Lord said to him, “Go,
for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and
kings and the children of Israel. 16For I will show him how much he
must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17So Ananias departed and
entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord
Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you
may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18And
immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his
sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19and taking food, he was
strengthened.

For some
days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus
in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were
amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who
called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them
bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength,
and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the
Christ.

Galatians 1:11-24

11For
I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not
man's gospel. 12For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I
taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For
you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God
violently and tried to destroy it. 14And I was advancing in Judaism
beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the
traditions of my fathers. 15But when he who had set me apart before
I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal
his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not
immediately consult with anyone; 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to
those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned
again to Damascus.

18Then
after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him
fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except James
the Lord's brother. 20(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do
not lie!) 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22And
I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They
only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the
faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of
me.

Matthew 19:27-30

27Then
Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then
will we have?” 28Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the
new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have
followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or
father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a
hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first
will be last, and the last first.

Some Additional Notes

The February newsletter
will be posted on this blog before Sunday. For those who do not have
internet access, print copies will be available Sunday.

Remember, we have pledged
to pray for our neighbors. You can get a list of your 100 closest
neighbors from pray4everyhome.com. Pastor has signed up the
congregation and is waiting for confirmation, but you can sign-up as an
individual.